This Halloween I've been looking at some of the creepiest ghost stories in Canada's communities and since we have recently moved house, I was inspired to investigate my own neighbourhood of Stittsville, Ontario. There are a few historic buildings still standing and I wondered about the people who had lived there and if there were any "ghost stories" that I could uncover.

So when the traditional North American holidays roll around, don't expect me to sanitize them. I don't expect my brother-in-law to dial down Hannukah thinking I'd find it offensive. I don't expect my mayor to skip Eid because I don't celebrate it. I look forward to the Chinese New Year parade and so do my kids. They shouldn't stop it because I'm not Chinese.

Charming and disarmingly persuasive, this sexy, silver-tongued slickster will use your body to satisfy his every pleasure. And while it might feel really good while he's doing it, in the end he ends up stronger and you end up weaker. Unfortunately for you, this monster man is also a monstrous time-waster.

Candy can also have a darker side for parents who are trying to keep their kids as healthy as possible, or protect them from allergic reactions by restricting what candy their kids can have. Imagine how the kid feels when they have a food allergy and can't have candy -- seeing other kids reaping the benefits of their trick-or-treating, dumping out their huge bags of candy and sorting through what they got -- it's both sad and frustrating.

It's fair to say that many teens love getting something for nothing. Free candy? It fits the bill. And every October 31, they fail to disappoint, showing up at the door, thrusting a bag in the direction of unwitting participants, sometimes without even uttering the agreed request -- sometimes, the words "Trick or Treat" aren't even mentioned.

On any day, passing an abandoned building can be creepy, but there is something about seeing abandoned buildings in the Fall, specifically around Halloween that cranks the creepy factor high! Here, just in time for Halloween are 13 Photos of Creepy Abandoned Places.

Here comes the sugar rush. You know how much fun it was for you to trick or treat and you want the kids to have the same kind of fun. Only now, you know that sugar is really bad for them. So how do you balance the fun with the responsibility of knowledge (without getting egged for giving out lectures for Halloween)?

For many young Canadian witches, goblins and monsters, Halloween is not about a trick or a treat, it is a about a threat. One that could affect their entire livelihood. The scary part is that there is no cure for allergic reactions. Avoidance of the allergen is the only safe method.

These three, blonde, 20-somethings were dressed as cotton pickers and had painted their faces in the most offensive, unrealistic mud black I've ever seen. They said absolutely nothing, only smiled, mouth closed. Here before me, like never in my life, were three white people targeting us, the non-white people in the bar.

I'm not buying the "if you don't like it, don't buy it" argument. Images have an impact whether or not you allow them into your home. The more we normalize corseted costumes and Daisy Dukes, the more our girls will be attracted to them. I can tell my daughter that the "firefighter goes to the fetish club" costume is inappropriate, but when she sees a happy girl her age on the packaging, she's getting mixed messages.

This Halloween, be sure to raise the spirits at your monster mash with delicious and spooky cocktails. Check out the top Halloween cocktails from a few of the city's favourite restaurants and draw some inspiration to get creative for your own haunted festivities!

When I was younger, I read something that Cindy Crawford said that has always stuck with me: "I'm not going to let anyone twist my arm and shove a cookie in my mouth". I'm sure most people have experienced that well-meaning (or not so much, but that's another blog) relative or friend who wants you to eat their 'special' cookies, casserole, or other sweet or high calorie treat.

We quickly located a firefighter costume for boys, complete with a bright red jacket, a traditional helmet and an axe. The girl's version, on the other hand, is a skin-tight, short, shiny dress that's surely flammable. It includes a fascinator (in lieu of a helmet) never before seen on a real firefighter.